


All Along, It Was You

by FionaNotJuliet



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/F, Gay Awakening, coffee shop AU, kiyoyachi - Freeform, very brief tsukkiyama mention, yamaguchi is a wingman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:15:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24004951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FionaNotJuliet/pseuds/FionaNotJuliet
Summary: Yachi Hitoka does not like coffee.But there’s something about the Karasuno Coffee Shop that just has her coming back despite that fact.
Relationships: Shimizu Kiyoko/Yachi Hitoka
Comments: 4
Kudos: 48





	All Along, It Was You

**Author's Note:**

> Heavily influenced by the cover Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop by Daniela Andrade

Yachi Hitoka was never a fan of coffee. 

She understood why it was necessary for many to function, but there wasn’t much that she found enjoyable about the actual drink. 

She had tried many different ways to make herself enjoy the drink, but nothing really managed to cover the deep, acrid taste of the coffee. No amount of sugar or milk or whipped cream. 

But she absolutely adored going to the Karasuno Coffee Shop. 

The atmosphere was cozy and warm. It made it so easy to curl up in one of the many arm chairs by a potted plant, or the window, and just zone out to finish whatever work she had to occupy her time. 

Despite the smell of the coffee lingering in the air, Yachi always managed to find herself lost in her laptop, her planner, or her book. 

This coffee shop was part of the reason that she found she just did not like coffee. Which, perhaps, sounded a little funny, considering she loved the shop so much. But the barista, Yamaguchi Tadashi, had been exceptionally patient in finding different drinks that she might enjoy. 

After months and months of trying lattes, cappuccinos, and even blended ice drinks that were closer to milkshakes, they both simply concluded that coffee was not for Yachi. 

For some reason, the thought made her incredibly sad. She wondered if there was a reason that she should be at the coffee shop if she didn’t even like the main menu drink. 

Thankfully, Yamaguchi simply laughed at her and presented her with a cup of tea, reminding her in a flourish of embarrassment that there were actually more drinks than just coffee at Karasuno. 

So, Yachi once again found herself curled up in an armchair, slowly sipping on her matcha latte; her preferred drink, thank you very much. She had an ipad out and was beginning to sketch out her latest designs for one of her classes, when she felt someone standing right behind her. 

She let out a little squeak, a blush dusting her cheeks as she scrambled to cover the work. It wasn’t anything scandalous, it was for class after all, but she was always nervous when people looked at her work before it was finished. 

A light giggle filled the air, a soft breath brushing over her ear as the person pulled back from looking over her shoulder. 

“Hitoka-chan, it’s just me. You don’t have to worry.”

Yachi gasped, feeling a little foolish for her over reaction. She straightened her posture and turned to face Shimizu Kiyoko just as she began to sit in the chair beside Yachi. 

“Ah! Shi- uh, Kiyoko-san. Sorry about that.” 

Kiyoko smiled softly, settling in beside her and taking a little sip of her own coffee, humming as the warmth filled her. 

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have leaned over your shoulder without announcing my presence.”

Yachi’s heart began to speed up as she looked over at Kiyoko, noting the soft smile on her lips; her eyes simply couldn’t pull away from the light pink shade. 

“Ah. Haha. No, it’s fine. Honestly. I should have known it was you.”

It was no secret to the baristas or the other patrons of the coffee shop, that Kiyoko was one of the few people that Yachi would allow to view any of her designs before they were fully formed and drawn out. 

“Even so. I’ll remember to say hello first. I’d hate for your heart to short circuit.” 

It was said in such an easy, teasing manner that Yachi felt her breath hitch in her throat. There was just something so appealing about the way that Kiyoko could tease her and not make her feel like she was being made fun of. 

“I would appreciate that very much, Kiyoko-san. Thank you.”

With a small shake of her head, Kiyoko leaned back in her chair. 

“I told you, you can either say Kiyoko-chan, or just Kiyoko. We’re not that far apart in age, Hitoka.” 

“R-Right! Of course. Kiyoko. Just Kiyoko.”

“Perfect.”

They both smiled and settled into their chairs. Yachi went back to work on her tablet, while Kiyoko pulled out some of her own school work. 

This was something they had grown used to over the months that they had both begun to occupy Karasuno. 

The first day that Yachi had seen Kiyoko, she had nearly fainted. 

Literally. 

Sugawara had snickered, while Yamaguchi came from behind the counter to catch her and force her to drink a full glass of water to help calm her down. 

Coincidentally, this was also the day that Yachi had tried her first espresso shot. So, despite Kiyoko’s effervescent beauty, she was half convinced that the espresso shot with its hot, bitter taste was likely the reason she actually began to feel faint. 

Sugawara was not convinced of that argument, however. He was one of the managers of Karasuno and had seen many people fall victim to Kiyoko’s beauty. It all went much the same way as it had with Yachi. 

She had ordered the espresso shot, much to Yamaguchi’s chagrin, but Sugawara’s amusement. Kiyoko walked in right after she had taken the shot; literally shooting it back as if it were alcohol. Once she turned around, her eyes immediately met Kiyoko’s, who gave her an encouraging smile. 

Of course, chaos immediately erupted as Yachi sucked in a breath and grasped her chest, before turning to grip the counter. It had been a very chaotic few minutes as Sugawara laughed, Yamaguchi tried to calm Yachi, and Kiyoko blinked in confusion until one of the baristas was free to take her order. 

After everything had settled and Yachi had a fresh cup of iced water, Kiyoko had sat next to her and smiled. It was the beginning of their friendship. 

From that moment on, Yachi would go to Karasuno, settle into one of her favorite chairs and it was never long before Kiyoko followed. If Kiyoko was there first, Yachi would settle in next to her. If, for some reason, Yachi didn’t realize Kiyoko was there, the other woman would move to sit by her. 

Slowly, they began to converse. They learned what each was majoring in. Kiyoko learned that Yachi really hated coffee, so she suggested matcha lattes. Yachi learned that Kiyoko was a little ashamed of the scars on her legs, so Yachi encouraged her to look past the scars and see them as the symbols of her trying her best at something she really loved. 

They had grown close in just a few months. 

So, the day was like any other. They were settled into silence, making sure to finish their work, before they both happened to set their things aside and stretch. 

Yachi giggled, pink covering her cheeks as she glanced over at Kiyoko. 

“Good timing, Kiyoko-s-,” she cut herself off, but offered the black haired beauty a smile. 

“Yes. Very good timing,” Kiyoko said, biting her bottom lip nervously. 

They sat quietly for a moment, before Yachi stood up suddenly. 

At the same time, Kiyoko had taken a breath to speak. 

“Kiyoko-”

“Hitoka-”

The two dissolved into a round of giggles as they tried to compose themselves enough to figure out what the other wanted. 

“You first,” Kiyoko said after a moment. 

“Oh! I was just going to ask if you’d like another coffee? My treat.”

The gentle smile crossed Kiyoko’s lips again and she nodded. 

“I would very much appreciate that, Hitoka.”

“Okay! I’ll be right back.”

Yachi scooched herself past Kiyoko, making her way to the counter where Yamaguchi stood, a bemused smile on his face. The freckle faced barista grabbed the two mugs that Yachi had brought up, putting them into the dirty dish area to be cleaned. 

“Will that be another matcha latte and a cappuccino?”

“Yes, please!”

He smiled and grabbed the ingredients to make the two drinks, working quickly and efficiently. Before long, he slid the two mugs over to Yachi and rang her up. 

“So. Everything going good?”

She tilted her head a little, her blonde hair falling to the side. 

“Yes? Should it not be?” She asked, curious as to what would cause Yamaguchi to ask that question. 

“Of course! I was just wondering if you were finally going to ask her out.”

She sucked in a sharp breath, her face turning bright red as she processed what he had said. 

“Wh- What are you talking about?!”

It was Yamaguchi’s turn to look at her with confusion clear on his face. He didn’t think he had misread the signs. It wasn’t like Yachi was especially subtle in the way that she looked at Kiyoko, or even in the way that the black haired woman looked at her. 

“I just… don’t you like Shimizu?”

Yachi gasped, feeling a little taken aback by the question. Did she like Kiyoko? Sure, Kiyoko was nice. And smart. And so pretty. She smiled and it was like everything was right in the world for Yachi…

“I like Kiyoko!” She squeaked out, feeling strange after being able to verbalize the feelings she didn’t even realize she had until five seconds ago. 

It made sense, of course. The way she always gravitated to Kiyoko, like a lost puppy. The way she was always so comfortable in the woman’s presence, unless she did things that made Yachi’s heart rate speed up. 

“I’m gay.” 

It was almost a whisper of an admission. She’d never really thought of her sexuality. She knew that she didn’t like guys. Try as much as she did growing up, the idea of being with a guy just never really appealed to her. 

She knew that girls were pretty. But she always assumed that was just a blatant observation. It never occurred to her that she thought girls were pretty because she wanted to kiss their lips. It never occurred to her that she could actually want to hold a girls hand and wrap herself in their arms. 

Yamaguchi gave her a small, encouraging smile. 

“Congratulations, Yachi-chan!”

Yachi squeaked again, covering her face with her hands as she tried to process all the feelings that rushed through her. 

“You don’t understand! I didn’t know! I didn’t realize… oh my god!”

She shook her head, her face still covered. Yamaguchi calmly moved from behind the counter to stand in front of Yachi, letting her have a mini-meltdown where, hopefully, Kiyoko couldn’t see. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. 

“It’s okay. I know it feels big and scary right now, but it’s not such a big deal.”

“Yamaguchi! You don’t know that!”

He chuckled quietly and gently pat her shoulder. 

“Yachi. I have a boyfriend. I do know that.”

She looked up at him, face red and tears in her eyes. It wasn’t that she was afraid, exactly, but the idea of her life being turned upside down and changed was more than a little overwhelming. 

“Y-you do?”

“Mhm. He’s my best friend. We’ve known each other for ages and we just sort of… fell in love together. I’m not saying it's going to be super easy all the time. But it’s not the end of the world, Yachi.”

She sniffled and took a deep breath. It was more than a little reassuring to hear from another person that it was going to be okay. 

“That’s really nice, Yamaguchi. Thank you for telling me.”

“What are friends for, Yachi?” He asked, giving her another bright smile, the freckles on his cheeks looking like stars. “Now. Why don’t you take a few more breaths and go back over to Shimizu?”

She nodded her head and took in a few deep breaths. She wasn’t certain that she would actually ask Kiyoko out, but she knew she had spent more than enough time idling at the counter.

Gathering her courage, Yachi wiped her eyes, before taking hold of the two mugs and turning on her heel to march her way over to Kiyoko. The aforementioned woman sat facing the counter, her teeth tugging at her bottom lip as she watched Yachi walk over with a look of determination in her eyes.

“Hitoka-chan, are you okay?” She asked, seeing the blonde’s red, puffy eyes.

A nervous laugh bubbled out of Yachi as she set the drinks down, before nestling her way back into her chair.

“Of course, Kiyoko. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, you were up there with Yamaguchi for a while. And he started to look concerned. And… now you look like you’ve been crying.”

Yachi turned to face her and gave her a gentle smile. 

“I promise, I’m okay, Kiyoko. I just… I realized something and it sort of… You know when you think your life is one way, but then you find out it’s completely different from what you thought?”

Nodding a little, Kiyoko seemed to have a wistful expression on her face. “Yeah. I really do get that.”

Encouraged by that statement, Yachi smiled more, before continuing.

“Well, I learned something new about myself. And it’s scary. But I think, maybe, it could be a good thing. I hope it will be.”

“I hope so, too, Hitoka. I’m here to help, if I can.”

The nerves crept up through Yachi’s stomach as she frantically waved her hand as if to wave off Kiyoko’s assistance. 

“You don’t have to do that! I promise! And it’s really personal. I couldn’t ask you to go out of your way for me.”

A soft smile crossed her lips as Kiyoko gently reached over to take Yachi’s flying hand, holding it within her own.

“Hitoka. I want to help you. I wanted… I, hmm.” 

Kiyoko cut herself off, feeling a little awkward and losing any courage that she had before she was actually holding the hand of the girl in front of her. 

Yachi stared at her, eyes wide for many reasons; it was unlike Kiyoko to be anything but level headed, and this was the first time they were actually touching. 

“Um. Kiyoko… you wanted to tell me something. Earlier?”

She nodded her head, not quite looking at Yachi as she tried to regain her composure. 

“I did. Well, I wanted to ask you something.”

“You can ask me anything.”

It came out breathless, so quiet that Kiyoko wouldn’t have heard her through the bustle of the coffee shop, except for the fact that she realized the two of them had been leaning over the arms of their chairs, closer together now. 

Gathering the courage within her, Kiyoko took a breath and steeled herself to finally ask the question that had been on her mind for months.

“Hitoka. Would you like to go out with me? Somewhere that isn’t the coffee shop?”

Yachi sucked in a sharp breath at the question. She was sure she was mishearing. Maybe she was misunderstanding. Maybe Kiyoko meant something else.

“O-Out? L-Like the movies?”

Kiyoko smiled, feeling a little hopeful. She nodded her head as she looked up, her blue eyes meeting Yachi’s gold.

“Yes. We could do that. Or get ice cream. Or go to a bookstore. Anything.”

“A-As friends?”

Yachi couldn’t stop herself. She needed to know if Kiyoko meant something more. It was almost too much hope for the girl that she liked to actually admit that she was interested in Yachi in the same way.

“Oh,” Kiyoko said, voice going quiet for a moment. “We could do that. But I meant… as a date.”

Yachi’s eyes widened further and her hand squeezed Kiyoko’s as she gasped. 

“You like me, too?!”

It came out at a much higher octave than she meant to, but she couldn’t help it. It was so hard for her to comprehend the fact that Kiyoko was here, across from her, asking her on a date.

Another gentle blush lit up Kiyoko’s cheeks as she nodded.

“I’ve liked you for a while now. I just wasn’t sure if you were… like me? But I just wanted to try. If you only wanted to be friends, I would have been okay with that.” 

Embarrassment began to flood Yachi as she felt tears welling in her eyes. A nervous habit that formed when she felt any big emotion. 

“I don’t want to be friends!” She squeaked out, before realizing that sounded rude. “I mean, I do! But I want… more.”

Ignoring the happy and excited tears, Yachi placed her other hand over Kiyoko’s one, making sure the small hands encapsulated it. 

“I didn’t know… I mean. I knew I liked you. But I didn’t know I  _ liked _ you,” she tried to explain. “It’s part of… Earlier, with Yamaguchi, that was when I realized I liked you.”

It was Kiyoko’s turn to be surprised this time, her blue eyes widening.

“That was just a few minutes ago! Hitoka! Are you okay?”

Yachi giggled and nodded, moving one of her hands so the fingers could thread with Kiyoko’s own. 

“Of course, I’m okay. The girl I like just asked me out.”

Kiyoko looked Yachi’s face over, wanting to determine for herself that the girl really was okay. She was met with a golden face that seemed to shine as she smiled, the tears in her eyes not quite falling.

Without thinking, Kiyoko gently reached up to cup the rose colored cheek with her free hand, hoping to help calm Yachi so she wouldn’t cry.

“Hitoka, I’m very happy you agreed to go out with me.”

They didn’t kiss, but they sat there for another long moment, hands clasped and Yachi gently tilting her cheekinto Kiyoko’s touch.

The two would have much to talk about, but for the moment, they had each other and the little coffee shop where they met. It was enough. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little coffee shop au where neither of them are baristas. 
> 
> Follow me on twitter @fionanotjuliet


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